Wizard Will
by AstaLaila
Summary: In the months after Sirius' death, others find some unexpected closure in the early morning.


Harry sat sullenly at the table at Grimmauld Place, pushing cereal against the side of his bowl. In a desperate effort to get away from Privet Drive, he had sent a desperate letter to Dumbledore, requesting the chance to go to the Burrow, even for a few days. He had been forced to compromise on a long weekend at the Headquarters. It was certainly better, with Ron and Ginny around, and Tonks popping in during the evenings, and Remus living full time at the residence. Other members of the Order were always appearing and disappearing at strange hours, making the kitchen a revolving meeting place, constantly stocked with Molly's leftovers. But the deluge of guests wouldn't hide the one person who should have been there.

The Dursleys had badgered Harry about his angry mood and outbursts, until he had turned at dinner one day, and punched out a kitchen window. Right now, Molly was watching him with concern through the steam of a large teapot. Tonks was head first on the table, the tips of her pink hair touched with the jam from her toast as she let out whispered snores. Remus was smiling benignly behind a paper, but was obviously amused.

"Harry dear, are you sure you don't want anything else? You're looking rather thin lately. Do they feed you properly at that muggle house?" Molly bustled about the kitchen collecting cups and saucers,

"The food is fine. I'm just not all that hungry." Harry mumbled.

"Are you sure… I made treacle tart last night. Couldn't sleep. I know it's your favourite." She coaxed. Harry looked at the tart.

"It's breakfast though." He refused halfheartedly. Molly pursed her lips and slid a large slab of tart onto a plate in front of him.

"I won't tell if you don't."

"I might have to be bribed." Remus said with an innocent face. Molly slipped him his own rather large pie.

"Good. At least I found something the two of you'll eat. The both of you are nearly wasting away." Molly tisked, looking with disappointment at how the shoulders of Dudley's old pyjamas hung limply at Harry's elbows.

"Well Molly, you just have to stop trying to feed us all those healthy meals." Remus passed a grin to Harry as he broke off a large forkful of pie.

"Mmmm. Keep the tart coming." Harry nodded seriously. Mrs.Weasley smiled in pleasure.

"You two are impossible."

"Just trying to keep up the legacy I suppose." Harry tried to be cheerful, but swallowed thickly. Mrs.Weasley gave him a gentle pat on the back.

"And you're putting in a good effort Harry." She said tenderly. Harry nodded, and pushed his sleeve across his nose.

"'Spose." These mornings had been valuable to Harry the last two days. Unable to sleep past six, he always stumbled down to the basement kitchen while the sunlight was barely filtering through the sky. There, with Tonks always asleep on the table next to Remus, and Molly busy in the kitchen, Harry found some sort of solace while the others slept. He sat at the table with two people who were closest to Sirius and was actually able to enjoy himself for a few moments. Remus had told him the first morning that he had realized there was no point in being miserable in those times. Sirius would have though it stupid. He would have been the first one to see what happened if you dropped an ice cube down the neck of Tonk's robes as she slept. They pushed own their grief, ignored it for a few quiet hours. They had silently resolved to find comfort in their companionship, and the silences were kept from becoming awkward by the gentle noises of Mrs. Weasley's puttering.

"Going back tomorrow then?" Remus inquired. Harry nodded. "Don't worry, You'll be back here before you know it. Dumbledore's letting you back for the week before term, Diagon Alley and all."

"Dragon in the galley what for?" The two of them looked over in surprise as Tonks raised her head and rubbed a hand across her eye.

"Diagon Alley, Tonks." Remus said with amusement. "Good morning,"

"Morning, right… it is my day off isn't it?" She said worriedly. Remus nodded, tilting his head to look at her.

"Monday, yes. And you have jam…in your hair."

"What?" Tonks pulled on a strand of hair, which grew out so that she could see the end. "Bullocks…" She grumbled. "I'm going to have a shower then…" Tonk sighed and picked up the offending piece of toast. Harry grinned a little as she stumbled sleepily towards the staircase. A flapping of wings and an indignant shout followed quickly as a large barn owl appeared through the staircase, nipping Tonk's toast from her hand as it passed by. "Bloody feathered git stole my toast!"

"Language, dear. I'll make you some more when you come back down." Tonks shot the bird a dirty look as it landed on the table in front of Remus. Remus took the letter from the owl, and it flew back off, ruffling Tonks' hair as it flew past.

"What's that?" Harry looked from the slightly queasy look on Remus's face to the black and gilt envelope.

"Oh dear." Molly sat faintly in Tonk's vacant chair, while Tonks hung inquisitively in the doorway.

"It's..." Remus coughed. "Sirius's will. His last will and testament. I'd forgotten we'd done these." He turned the envelope over with his thumbs. Tonks slipped back into the room.

"Forgotten you'd written a will?" Harry managed to asked, still eyeing the mail. He looked like he was trying to swallow a mouthful of treacle, and failing.

"No, this will. This type of will that is, a living will." Tonks crouched behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"It sounds like it's-murmuring? Trying to say something. What's in there." She reached around him to tap on the paper.

"Sirius."

Tonks turned quickly and scraped her nose against the stubble of his jaw.

"Ow." She rolled back to her heels. "What do you mean?"

"When I open this envelope, Sirius, not the real Sirius, but a shade of him, a shadow, will emerge to dictate his will."

"Oh." Molly looked mildly horrified. "How...?"

"We, the four of us, James, Sirius, Peter and I, got them when we joined the Order. Each was supposed to go to the person thought most trustworthy at that time to fulfil the binding contract formed when it was opened. James's went to Sirius. He told me before he...had to leave. Pretty much just everything to Harry by default, and Harry to Sirius. I don't know exactly what to expect."

"Did it just say 'Moony'?" Tonks frowned at the paper which appeared to have started straining against its seal.

"If it's anything like a howler I suppose we ought to just open it." Harry suggested. Molly nodded in agreement. Remus's thumb slid slowly under a corner and pulled across. The four flaps of the envelope unfolded and Remus let the paper fall to the table. Harry watched the ink swirl into a mass in the middle, reminded of Tom Riddle's diary. The black mass glistened, and formed into strands, beginning to fall elegantly over a forehead that emerged. The tan skin of Sirius face lacked the lines and grey tinge that Azkaban had imprinted.

"Remus." Harry looked confused.

"An image of him when the will was first made. While the message is altered, the image usually isn't."

"Especially when you're a fugitive. Can't well waltz into their office for a quick change, can I." They all looked dumbfounded. Sirius' image smiled sadly, as he shook the last bit of ink from his black boots. Harry almost laughed at the thin jeans and well fitted t-shirt Sirius wore under a leather jacket.

"It's good you're smiling Harry. You look like you dad like that." Harry faltered, but fought to keep the smile on. "Well. I'm not here for nothing then. If this is here, I can only guess where I am. I hope I went down guns blazing and such." The image looked solid and real enough to touch, to hug, to smack in the head for arrogance. It sat down on the table so that the four of them sat in front of him, and crossed its legs lazily. "Hope I didn't slip and drown in the tub. Right embarrassing." It passed a quick smile to Remus, who had found Sirius once tangled with a bath curtain, slightly intoxicated and claiming it a lethifold.

It scanned to Molly, who looked rather white. "No scolding for sitting on the table? I'm surprised Molly." She swallowed, but managed a watery grin. "Well, you aren't the cheeriest bunch, but I can't expect that with my wonderful presence drawn away from your life."

The Sirius's face turned sullen at the sight of Tonk's hair, now a mousy, lank brown. "Look, I'm sorry I'm gone, but don't do this. I want you to be happy. I want... I suppose I should get on with the officials. I only have a while now. Will things. Well, I suppose it's nearly as simple as James's. Everything to Harry Potter, my godson, nothing to my family. Including Grimmauld Place. I apologize for unloading the dismal hovel on you, but, well, I'm sure you'll find some use for it. A few exceptions. The library to Remus. Including that green chair by the fireplace I know you like, but won't admit to wanting. My wardrobe to Tonks, to alter however she pleases. Except my leather jacket. That does go to Harry. It'll look right cool. And find out from Hagrid were exactly he put my motorcycle anyways. And a hundred galleons each to the Weasley kids on their eighteenth. Marriages and businesses and all, they'll need it. And just give Hermione something she finds interesting. And Harry, to you, I also pass on Remus." Remus gave a started, bemused look. "Yes, he's a bit of a ponce, but he can be useful. Has some good ideas that one, solid advice if there's someone around who'll listen. I'm sure he'll come of much more use than I ever did." The image bit his lip roughly and nodded at Harry, whose hand was reaching across the table towards it.

"Yeah, so that's about it. I guess I should have some eloquent parting words. But you all know that's not my style. So. I guess that just leaves me...Yes, well. I want to thank you for being here for my Moony. He's really a softy, so I'm sure having to see this alone would send the boy into wracking sobs without your support." He glanced gratefully at Tonks, who had rested her forearm along Remus's shoulders, and her chin on her arm.

"And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for whatever reason I left you, but I know it has to be good. I haven't...I really was happy with you, especially you." He glanced about the group. "I didn't know if I'd ever have that again. You made things bearable. I...I just wanted you to know something beyond my death, other than who got Aunt Piscera's candlesticks. James gave me that idea, in his. He said that he always trusted me. Always knew I was a true friend. That I'd be a good godfather for Harry. That I'd find something to live for. I found Harry, James' pride and joy, and all that... I'm sorry I wasn't so good at fulfilling everything I ought to have. So, yeah, I've got my regrets, but mostly I... I guess mostly I'm just long winded. I really did- I cared for you. Loved you. Well, that's not easy for me to say." The Sirius laughed dryly, and gazed over at Remus. The girl hung from his shoulder, softly running her finger short distances along the top of his arm. "Sometimes, however, it's something we ought to say. Eh Remus." Remus flashed a sad smile, then dropped his head. Tonk's arm slid out, her chin arching over his shoulder, while her hand moved to gently stroke the back of his neck.

"And no sad faces about here! You change that hair back Nymphadora Tonks. If you really care, you'll keep them all up. I happen to have heard that pink look of yours is rather...what was it...captivating? Or maybe it was wonderfully distracting. Or simply lovely. Appealing it may have been. Some people have large vocabularies. I don't think anyone here would be sad to see it stick around, some more than others." Tonks blushed, and her hair flushed with her. "Molly. Never one for lush flattery. We've butted heads, but you do a good job of keeping us all together here. I wish your family luck."

The image folded its arms and looked straight at green eyes. "Harry. You were everything important. Everything I came back for, stayed alive for. Everything I would have been willing to die for." Harry pushed his pyjama jersey across his eye, as though he were scratching an itch. "I found you and you were more...admirable than I could have ever hoped. And to no claim but your own. The best of all the Mauraders. I know you'll be able to do anything you ever need to. And there's people to help. Always. There. And here. I'm not so very far away. And I'll see you again some day, so I can wait. You do the best you can. And you listen to Molly and Remus. Look, I gotta go, I'm running out, but I tried my hardest. You keep up Harry. You'll be just fine. So if you'll be kind enough to shut your eyes and let me make my exit, I'd be much obliged. I'll be seeing you." He let out a wide smile, his hair falling into his eyes as they shut theirs. A wind seemed to generate and spin around the table, rattling Remus's teacup. It spun faster, whipping their hair, faster, until it stopped with a sound like a heavy sigh, and left silence.

Their eyes opened onto an empty table. Molly's hands were clasped tightly. Tonks's head rested on her arm again, the jam still present in short pink hair that tickled against Remus's neck. Harry nodded slowly.

"Well, I suppose that's settled then."

"I should go have that shower." Tonks murmured. Remus looked up at her, slightly startled.

"Yeah, okay."

"I'll put some more tea on. People will be down soon." Molly stood, straightening her apron. Footsteps creaked on the stairs above them and Remus's newspaper cracked as he opened it to a new page. Tonks slipped up the kitchen stairs, colliding with Arthur and Kingsley. Harry pushed his thumb into the crumbs of the treacle tarts remains and watched as the quiet kitchen came back to life.


End file.
